Rep. Danny Lopez

Makes a person who commits an offense that results in serious bodily injury or death to a law enforcement officer a sex or violent offender. Prohibits a court from considering time spent by the defendant in pretrial detention or home detention or on work release when determining the sentence for a crime that resulted in serious bodily injury or death to a law enforcement officer. Makes it a sentencing aggravator if an offense results in serious bodily injury or death to a law enforcement officer. Provides that a person charged with an offense that resulted in serious bodily injury or death to a law enforcement officer may only be released on cash bail.

Provides that property taxes imposed to pay debt service: (1) on certain bonds; and (2) to make lease payments on certain leases; are not considered for purposes of calculating a person's supplemental tax credit. Provides that the expenditure tax rate for a county or municipality expires on December 31, 2029, and on December 31 of every fourth calendar year thereafter (instead of every calendar year under current law).

Maddy summaryHB 1222 exempts retention ponds from state dam regulations. This directly affects property developers, homeowners, and municipalities that maintain retention ponds for stormwater management. The bill removes requirements like safety inspections, permits, and maintenance standards currently applied to dams. It focuses solely on clarifying regulatory scope for these specific structures, not altering broader dam safety rules. The bill is currently under review by the Natural Resources Committee.

Provides a credit against state tax liability for expenses incurred in the manufacture of a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) in Indiana. Establishes procedures under which certain energy utilities may request approval for one or more of the following from the Indiana utility regulatory commission (IURC): (1) An expedited generation resource plan (EGR plan) to meet customer load growth that exceeds a specified threshold. (2) A generation resource submittal for the acquisition of a specific generation resource in accordance with an approved EGR plan. (3) A project to serve one or more large load customers. Sets forth: (1) the requirements for approval of each of these types of requests; (2) standards for financial assurances by large load customers; and (3) cost recovery mechanisms for certain acquisition costs or project costs incurred by energy utilities. Amends the statute concerning public utilities' annual electric resource planning reports to the IURC to provide that for an annual report submitted after December 31, 2025, a public utility must include information as to the amount of generating resource capacity or energy that the public utility plans to retire or refuel with respect to any electric generation resource of at least 125 megawatts. Provides that for any planned retirement or refueling, the public utility must include, along with other specified information, information as to the public utility's plans with respect to the following: (1) For a retirement, the amount of replacement capacity identified to provide approximately the same accredited capacity within the appropriate regional transmission organization (RTO) as the capacity of the facility to be retired. (2) For a refueling, the extent to which the refueling will maintain or increase the current generating resource accredited capacity or energy that the electric generating facility provides, so as to provide approximately the same accredited capacity within the appropriate RTO. Requires IURC staff to prepare a staff report for each public utility report that includes a planned electric generation resource retirement. Provides that if, after reviewing a public utility's report and any related staff report, the IURC is not satisfied that the public utility can satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statute's prescribed reliability adequacy metrics, the IURC shall conduct an investigation into the reasons for the public utility's inability to meet these requirements. Provides that if the public utility's report indicates that the public utility plans to retire an electric generating facility within one year of the date of the report, the IURC must conduct such an investigation. Provides that: (1) a public utility may request, not earlier than three years before the planned retirement date of an electric generation facility, that the IURC conduct an investigation into the planned retirement; and (2) if the IURC conducts an investigation at the request of the public utility within that three year period, the IURC may not conduct a subsequent investigation that would otherwise be required under the bill's provisions unless the IURC is not satisfied that the public utility can satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statutory reliability adequacy metrics as of the time the investigation would otherwise be required. Provides that if a CPCN is granted by the IURC for a facility intended to repower or replace a generation unit that is planned for retirement, and the CPCN includes findings that the project will result in at least equivalent accredited capacity and will provide economic benefit to ratepayers as compared to the continued operation of the generating unit to be retired, the CPCN constitutes approval by the IURC for purposes of an investigation that would otherwise be required. Provides that if, after an investigation, the IURC determines that the capacity resources available to the public utility will not be adequate to allow the public utility to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirements and the statute's prescribed reliability adequacy metrics, the IURC shall issue an order: (1) directing the public utility to acquire or construct; or (2) prohibiting the retirement or refueling of; such capacity resources that are reasonable and necessary to enable the public utility to meet these requirements. Provides that if the IURC does not issue an order in an investigation within 120 days after the initiation of the investigation, the public utility is considered to be able to satisfy both its planning reserve margin requirement and the statutory reliability adequacy metrics with respect to the retirement of the facility under investigation. Provides that if the IURC issues an order to prohibit the retirement or refueling of an electric generation resource, the IURC shall create a sub-docket to authorize the public utility to recover in rates the costs of the continued operation of the electric generation resource proposed to be retired or refueled, subject to a finding by the IURC that the continued costs of operation are just and reasonable. Makes a technical change to another Indiana Code section to recognize the redesignation of subsections within the section containing these provisions.

Provides that the judges of the Marion County juvenile courts may not appoint more than 11 magistrates. Eliminates a court in Blackford County and Monroe County. Eliminates a magistrate in Jennings County. Allows the judges of the Elkhart circuit and superior courts to appoint four full-time magistrates. (Current law allows for the appointment of two magistrates.) Adds two superior courts to Hamilton County. Provides that the first judges of Hamilton superior courts No. 8 and No. 9 shall: (1) be elected at the November 2026 general election; (2) take office January 1, 2027; and (3) serve a term of six years. Allows the judges of the Hamilton circuit and superior courts to jointly appoint two additional magistrates to serve the Hamilton County courts. Allows the judge of the Lawrence County juvenile court to appoint not more than one full-time magistrate. Allows the judges of the Vigo circuit and superior courts to jointly appoint one magistrate to serve the Vigo County courts.

Allows a state agency to use artificial intelligence software to prepare information and projections for the state budget. Requires a state agency to provide a quarterly report to the budget committee that details the requests submitted by the state agency for new federal funds or to participate in a new federal program. Provides that, in addition to the quarterly reports, a state agency may not immediately accept an award of new federal funds in certain circumstances or participate in a new federal program before a report has been reviewed by the budget committee. Specifies the contents of the report that must be submitted for budget committee review. Requires a state agency to provide the state comptroller with a contract for inclusion in the Indiana transparency website not later than 30 days after the contract is fully executed. Requires that permanent full-time positions which have been vacant for 90 days or more be reviewed and either reauthorized or eliminated by the budget director. Requires the budget director to provide a quarterly report to the governor's office regarding those positions that were reauthorized or eliminated by the budget director in the preceding three months. Requires a state agency to provide quarterly reports to the budget committee regarding the state agency's active contracts. Provides for the reversion of funds appropriated to a state agency for expenses related to a contract that are unused after the end of the contract term. Requires the department of administration (department) to develop certain contract language to be included in state contracts of $500,000 or more. Requires a state agency to provide a report to the budget committee concerning amendments to a contract that: (1) increase the maximum contract amount by not less than $500,000; or (2) for a contract with an initial maximum contract amount of not less than $500,000, extend the term of the contract by not less than six months. Prohibits a state agency from entering into a nonpublic contract. Requires all contract opportunities of state agencies to be posted in the form of a request for proposals or a request for quotations on the department's website at least 30 days prior to the contract being awarded. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services and the office of Medicaid policy and planning to do the following: (1) Review monthly reports on the Medicaid program service utilization to identify trends and risks within the state Medicaid program. (2) Post publicly on the office of the secretary of family and social services's website monthly financial reports or expenditures and revenues for each state Medicaid program and commentary providing context for each monthly financial report. (3) Submit a quarterly report to the budget committee.

Establishes the office of entrepreneurship and innovation (office). Specifies the duties of the office. Transfers oversight responsibilities of certified technology parks from the Indiana economic development corporation (IEDC) to the office. Provides for the submission of an annual report of the activities of an innovation development district as to financial information pertaining to tax increment financing districts in an innovation development district to the: (1) fiscal body of the county, city, or town; and (2) department of local government finance. Provides that before the IEDC may purchase land in a county that in total exceeds 100 acres whether acquired in one transaction or a series of transactions, the IEDC must first give notice, in writing, to the board of county commissioners of the county in which the land is located (and to the mayor of a city if the land is located within a city) not later than 30 days before the closing date for the purchase or purchases. Requires the IEDC to provide to the budget committee a copy of the notice being provided to the local unit in which certain land is being purchased. Provides that if the IEDC extends an offer to one or more voting or nonvoting members of the budget committee to tour a potential economic development site that may receive state assistance in undertaking the project, the IEDC shall simultaneously extend the same offer to all voting and nonvoting members of the budget committee. Requires the governor to appoint the president of the IEDC, who shall serve at the pleasure of the governor and report to the secretary of commerce. (Under current law, the secretary of commerce is the president of the IEDC.) Repeals the statute that expires the central Indiana regional development authority.

Requires political subdivisions, state agencies, school corporations, and state educational institutions (public entities), with the exception of specified categories of hospitals and the Indianapolis department of public utilities (department), to adopt not later than December 31, 2027, a: (1) technology resources policy; and (2) cybersecurity policy; that meet specified requirements. Provides the department is not required to report a cybersecurity incident to the office of technology (office). Requires the office to develop: (1) standards and guidelines regarding cybersecurity for use by political subdivisions and state educational institutions; and (2) a uniform cybersecurity policy for use by state agencies. Requires the office to develop, in collaboration with the department of education: (1) a uniform technology resources policy governing use of technology resources by the employees of school corporations; and (2) a uniform cybersecurity policy for use by school corporations. Requires: (1) a public entity to biennially submit to the office the cybersecurity policy adopted by the public entity; and (2) the office to establish a procedure for collecting and maintaining a record of submitted cybersecurity policies. Requires a public entity that engages a third party to conduct an assessment of the public entity's cybersecurity policy to provide the results of the assessment to the office.

Establishes additional duties for the governor's workforce cabinet and requires the cabinet to perform certain duties jointly with other state agencies. Requires the Indiana management performance hub, in collaboration with the department of education (department) and commission for higher education (commission), to: (1) collect and compile certain student income data; and (2) compile into a data product on the department's and commission's websites certain data. Requires the secretary of education to establish a plan to develop a market driven stackable credentials and qualifications framework and submit the plan to the general assembly. Provides that the commission shall (instead of may) approve or disapprove certain branches, campuses, centers, new colleges, new schools, degrees, or programs. Provides that before the commission approves or disapproves a degree or program, a state educational institution shall provide, and the commission shall consider, certain information regarding the degree or program. Requires the commission to: (1) review each degree or program for approval or disapproval at least one time every 10 years; (2) outline a process for degree and program monitoring, improvement, suspension, and closure; (3) publish certain information; and (4) take official action regarding the approval or disapproval of certain requests within 90 days. Requires a state educational institution to approve for admission Indiana residents who meet certain requirements. Requires the board of trustees of a state educational institution to do the following: (1) When reviewing tenured faculty members, assess and review the staffing needs of the institution based on the branches, campuses, extension centers, colleges, schools, and degree and programs of the institution. (2) Submit to the commission any review of, renewal of, or amendment to the process or criteria regarding the tenured faculty member review. Requires the commission to promptly review the process and criteria and provide feedback to a board of trustees. Requires the commission to prepare and submit an annual report to the legislative council regarding certain student enrollment data. Adds duties for the department of workforce development.

Specifies that provisions of law governing the office of administrative law proceedings apply to the Indiana department of health (state department) in matters concerning the involuntary transfer or discharge of a resident of a health facility. Specifies conditions for the use of updated publications for design enforcement by the state department in the regulation of hospitals and ambulatory outpatient surgical centers. Amends the list of crimes or acts that preclude a home health aide, nurse aide, or other unlicensed employee from employment at a home health agency and certain health care facilities. Amends the list of crimes that preclude a person from operating a home health agency or personal services agency. Requires the state department to: (1) investigate any report that a nurse aide or home health aide has been convicted of a certain crime; and (2) remove the individual from the state nurse aide registry. Makes it a Class A infraction for a person convicted of a certain crime to knowingly or intentionally apply for a job as a home health aide or other unlicensed employee at a home health agency or certain health care facilities. For provisions concerning the women, infants, and children nutrition program (WIC program), defines "WIC vendor agreement". Requires the state department to: (1) select WIC program vendors based on selection criteria set forth in federal regulations; (2) review the selection criteria annually; (3) include the selection criteria in the WIC state plan; and (4) publish the selection criteria on the state department's website. For purposes of submitting a death record of a stillborn, requires the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) last in attendance to initiate the document process unless the physician, physician assistant, or APRN was not present upon the deceased. Includes reporting to local child fatality review teams, the statewide child fatality review committee, local fetal-infant mortality review teams, and suicide and overdose fatality review teams for the release of mental health records without the consent of the patient. Requires the state department to: (1) approve courses concerning auto-injectable epinephrine that meet criteria established by the state department (rather than courses offered by an approved organization as defined in current law); and (2) publish the criteria on its website. Removes a provision allowing the state department to contract with a third party to create a certificate of completion for a course. Removes the expiration of the statewide maternal mortality review committee. Amends the membership of the statewide child fatality review committee.